Globally-Engaged Research Award

The Globally-Engaged Research Award is offered by the Global Education Office (GEO) and the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at The University of New Mexico (UNM) to highlight the dynamic international research conducted by UNM faculty and students.

Bridging both national and institutional borders, internationally focused research enhances knowledge production by simultaneously broadening the investigative lens and generating a more nuanced analysis through the incorporation of global diversity. This award showcases existing activities and serves to elevate the visibility and caliber of future research by promoting the incorporation of cross-cultural perspectives and international relevance into the UNM research enterprise. The award emphasizes our commitment to robust, intentional, international partnerships in our research and classrooms to solve a wide range of global issues and prepare a new generation of scholars to work and live in an interconnected and rapidly evolving world.

Awardees

Outstanding Research Staff Awards

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) seeks nominations for the Outstanding Research Staff Awards. OVPR recognizes that the expertise, dedication, and professionalism of our diverse research support staff contributes essentially to the success of UNM’s research mission. The Outstanding Research Staff Awards are a component of our holistic commitment to promote a dynamic research support system via enhanced employee wellness, job satisfaction, and career advancement.

Award eligibility is limited to research administrators and similar support staff, including employees of the OVPR, Office of Sponsored Projects, Contract and Grant Accounting, Faculty Research Development Office, Office of Research Integrity & Compliance, Category III Research Centers, and other main and branch campus staff whose primary function is supportive of UNM’s research mission. Research support staff at all levels, including students and part-time employees, are eligible. This does not include research assistants or technicians working on behalf of a single investigator. Staff who receive an award will be ineligible in the subsequent 2 years.

Nominations may be made by any UNM staff, faculty, or student, but self-nominations are not permitted. Individuals may submit multiple nominations, one per award category.

Award winners will be selected by the OVPR executive committee. Each winner will receive $1000 and will be recognized during the Research Administrator’s Symposium in October.

For questions, and if you have any problems submitting a nomination, contact Melissa Emery Thompson, Assistant VP for Research memery@unm.edu.

Awardees

Ovation Awards

The Ovation Awards recognize full-time UNM faculty for recent accomplishments with unusually high impact, addressing local or global challenges and/or elevating the scholar's and UNM's reputation on a national/international stage. These may include a significant innovation, discovery, exhibit, or scholarly/creative work, or the establishment of a research resource or program. The award recognizes singular accomplishments rather than career achievement. We seek to recognize faculty at all career stages. Recipients receive a $1000 research allocation and recognition at an annual awards ceremony. 

Do you know of a recent high profile research accomplishment by a UNM faculty member? Let us know! Email Asst. VP for Research Melissa Emery Thompson (memery@unm.edu) with a brief description of the achievement and its impact. In most cases, a link/attachment of a press release or similar article will be sufficient.

Awardees

In 2023 the TEAM Ovation award was granted to the VolCAN project, which made history by flying a drone into an erupting volcano to sample gasses, work that will improve the ability to forecast eruptions. Team PIs are Melanie Moses (Professor of Computer Science), Matthew Fricke (Research Assistant Professor of Computer Science), Jared Saia (Professor of Computer Science), Tobias Fischer (Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences), Scott Nowicki (Research Associate Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences), and Rafael Fierro (Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering)